Removing ballast from inside the ship and putting it outside would actually raise the gross tonnage, not lower it. There are things you can play with to reduce your tonnage and it's possible they did that for regulatory reasons, but the ballast is unrelated.

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I had read in one of the documents the lead ballast was removed from inside the hull (and placed outside on the keel) to make more interior room for passengers.

If someone was talking to you about the way he was going to maneuver an Hurricane and you were part of the crew that was going to do it I bet that one month later you would remember very well that talk. (snip)

That MIGHT happen, but it usually is does not. Most people cannot recite what they heard, word for word, an hour later. And in any case, your point is moot, as the person recalling what Walbridge said was NOT part of the crew.

"the ships crew began gutting the interior.
We have been working with our naval architect on a new
layout for the ship’s “Tween” deck for a more functioning
galley as well as better accommodations for our sail trainees.
We will now have ten cabins opposed to the six previously
and more storage space."

"Capt. Robin Walbridge stood on the deck of the 180-foot wooden sailing ship Bounty on the sunny afternoon of Oct. 25. The wind was so mild that the ship had motored back to harbor after a short sail. The Bounty was tied to a city pier in New London, Conn.

Walbridge told a small group that the Bounty would be leaving for St. Petersburg, Fla., that night instead of the next morning. He wanted to get a jump on a massive weather system coming from the south that forecasters were calling “historic” and that one already had dubbed “Frankenstorm.”

Walbridge formed a circle with his thumbs and index fingers, and told listeners to look at his right thumb. It represented the southeastern section of the hurricane.
“He said he wanted to get to the southeast quadrant and ride the storm out,” said New London Dockmaster Barbara Neff. No one raised objections."

Comment - not a lot of damn time for a crew member to decide to leave the ship, a couple hours at most - and with a sense of loyalty towards each other, the storm still days away and the belief that the Captain would know what to do. Well, I can see how they decided to go, with such little time to consider the danger, they stuck together and went.

I would like to point out that there is no mention of any crew members being present at this oft-refered to event. The person writing the article was not present, either, and the whole event is per the recollection of one person, a week later.

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